Bluntly: Sumlin needs to get Aggies’ offseason scene together in a hurry

Kevin Sumlin is under pressure to win on the field, but his first job this offseason is to clean up the team’s off-the-field issues. (Danny Johnston/Associated Press)

COLLEGE STATION – After giving Texas A&M coach Kevin Sumlin a $2 million dollar raise to $5 million annually at the end of last season, the Aggies are all in with the man they believe will lead them to their first Southeastern Conference football title.

Now, Aggies are crossing their fingers that Sumlin is simply all in with getting his team’s offseason scene together. He certainly didn’t last season, and signs are pointing in that direction once again this year. I’d never seen anything like it when the Aggies were missing six key defensive players to open the 2013 season against Rice – including four announced just prior to game time – all due to various offseason indiscretions (including A&M-sanctioned suspensions because of failed drug tests, according to multiple insiders).

That craziness didn’t get much attention, all in all, because most of the attention was on the returning Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Manziel, who also was suspended the first half of the Rice game for a minor NCAA violation involving autographs.

The more talented and deeper Aggies eventually overwhelmed the Owls 52-31 in the opener, but this season A&M opens at SEC foe South Carolina on Aug. 28, and the Aggies can’t afford to be without a handful of key players. Unfortunately for A&M and its fans who are all in with the #SwagMatism – Webster defines it as an excessive swagger swarming a #Regime – enveloping Sumlin’s program, that’s not shaping up to be the case as of late February.

Defensive tackle Isaiah Golden was arrested this past weekend on a misdemeanor marijuana charge, while fellow sophomore Darian Claiborne, a linebacker, was arrested for a noise violation (essentially for yelling while the players were being questioned), according to the Bryan-College Station Eagle. Touted freshman receiver Devante “Speedy” Noil, who graduated early from high school, also was in the parked car in which officers discovered marijuana, according to the Eagle (Noil was not arrested).

For the full story, click here (and one of the most troubling aspects is these extremely able-bodied fellows were parked in a handicapped spot, an ultimate form of jackass-ery). Claiborne had already been arrested on charges of marijuana possession in December, and missed the Aggies’ 52-48 comeback victory over Duke on New Year’s Eve in the Chick-fil-A Bowl as a result.

The day of the bowl game, Claiborne posted on his Twitter account, “Wish all my brothers good luck today as they (beat) duke! Truly wish I was there with them but I have to take responsibilities for my actions and accept my punishment.”

It’s safe to say he hasn’t learned his lesson. Now, Sumlin, entering his this season at A&M, could potentially be without a starting defensive tackle in Golden and his best linebacker in Claiborne for the Gamecocks (at least those two so far this season), and that doesn’t include the drug testing that apparently sidelined a handful of players to begin last season. All after the coach who’s never won a conference title (including four years in the C-USA) has had huge expectations placed on him in the wake of the the massive raise and following overtures during the season from Southern Cal and the NFL, among others.

Following a stunning 11-2 finish in 2012, the Aggies started this past season in the top 10 before taking a step backward — thanks primarily to a porous defense — in finishing 9-4. Manziel engineered a wild comeback from three touchdowns down in the bowl game in helping the Aggies avoid a three-game losing streak to end the season.

At this rate A&M might want to start scheduling the likes of Stephen F. Austin and Montana State and The Citadel again for their openers, all season-opening foes in the past decade.

Putting it bluntly: These arrests and suspensions and so forth are embarrassing for A&M and embarrassing for Aggies who pride themselves on their school (allegedly) being unique, although the running joke is A&M has certainly fit in well in the sometimes-renegade SEC under Sumlin. And for anyone blaming the police for simply doing their job, to partially quote coach Al Pacino in Any Given Sunday, “I don’t know what to say, really …”

Perhaps longtime Eagle columnist and sports editor Robert Cessna put it best in a blog post: “I understand football players reflect society, but I believe individuals on scholarships representing the university need to abide by a higher standard, just like the coaches who mentor them. A&M is not supposed to be like every other school, it’s supposed to be the best on and off the field. A&M’s had way too many suspensions in the last year or so.”

The smooth and youthful Sumlin, who turns 50 this August, says all the right things with the cameras on and in front of coaches conventions and so forth. But right now his program isn’t reflecting all of the right things associated with what most Aggies expect (and “most Aggies” aren’t represented by those most impassioned of fans on a fan message board, who might adopt a win-at-all-costs approach).

If that’s the price of playing in the SEC, I know for a fact plenty of Aggies, who still try and abide by what they consider the school’s lofty standards (and who were already troubled by the trends prior to these most recent arrests), would gladly take a step back in standing strong for more lifelong ideals.

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Photo: Cody Duty / Houston Chronicle

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Photo: Cody Duty / Houston Chronicle

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Texas A&M Aggies running back Tra Carson dives over the line for a touchdown during the second quarter of an NCAA college football game against the UTEP Miners at Kyle Field Saturday, Nov. 2, 2013, in College ... more

Photo: Cody Duty / Houston Chronicle

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Texas A&M Aggies running back Tra Carson celebrates a touchdown during the second quarter of an NCAA college football game against the UTEP Miners at Kyle Field Saturday, Nov. 2, 2013, in College Station. (Cody Duty / Houston Chronicle) less

Texas A&M Aggies running back Tra Carson celebrates a touchdown during the second quarter of an NCAA college football game against the UTEP Miners at Kyle Field Saturday, Nov. 2, 2013, in College Station. ... more

Photo: Cody Duty / Houston Chronicle

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Texas A&M Aggies wide receiver Derel Walker, left, and wide receiver Travis Labhart, right, celebrate after Labhart caught a touchdown pass as a host of UTEP Miners defenders look on during the the third quarter of an NCAA college football game at Kyle Field Saturday, Nov. 2, 2013, in College Station. (Cody Duty / Houston Chronicle) less

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Photo: Cody Duty / Houston Chronicle

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Texas A&M Aggies offensive linesman Mike Matthews lifts wide receiver Travis Labhart in the air as they celebrate after Labhart caught a touchdown pass as a host of UTEP Miners defenders look on during the third quarter of an NCAA college football game at Kyle Field Saturday, Nov. 2, 2013, in College Station. (Cody Duty / Houston Chronicle) less

Texas A&M Aggies offensive linesman Mike Matthews lifts wide receiver Travis Labhart in the air as they celebrate after Labhart caught a touchdown pass as a host of UTEP Miners defenders look on during the ... more

Photo: Cody Duty / Houston Chronicle

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Texas A&M Aggies running back Ben Malena, left, watches as teammate and running back Tra Carson is carted off the field during the fourth quarter of an NCAA college football game against the UTEP Miners at ... more

Photo: Cody Duty / Houston Chronicle

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Texas A&M Aggies render aid to running back Tra Carson after he was injured during the second half of an NCAA college football game against the UTEP Miners at Kyle Field Saturday, Nov. 2, 2013, in College Station. (Cody Duty / Houston Chronicle) less

Texas A&M Aggies render aid to running back Tra Carson after he was injured during the second half of an NCAA college football game against the UTEP Miners at Kyle Field Saturday, Nov. 2, 2013, in College ... more

Photo: Cody Duty / Houston Chronicle

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Texas A&M Aggies quarterback Johnny Manziel warms up before an NCAA college football game against the UTEP Miners at Kyle Field Saturday, Nov. 2, 2013, in College Station. (Cody Duty / Houston Chronicle)

Texas A&M Aggies quarterback Johnny Manziel warms up before an NCAA college football game against the UTEP Miners at Kyle Field Saturday, Nov. 2, 2013, in College Station. (Cody Duty / Houston Chronicle)

Photo: Cody Duty / Houston Chronicle

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Texas A&M Aggies wide receiver Travis Labhart looks to the officials for a call after a UTEP Miners defender pressured him during the second quarter of an NCAA college football game at Kyle Field Saturday, Nov. 2, 2013, in College Station. (Cody Duty / Houston Chronicle) less

Texas A&M Aggies wide receiver Travis Labhart looks to the officials for a call after a UTEP Miners defender pressured him during the second quarter of an NCAA college football game at Kyle Field Saturday, ... more

Photo: Cody Duty / Houston Chronicle

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A host of Texas A&M Aggies defense look on after forcing a fumble from UTEP Miners wide receiver Jordan Leslie, center, during the second quarter of an NCAA college football game at Kyle Field Saturday, Nov. 2, 2013, in College Station. (Cody Duty / Houston Chronicle) less

A host of Texas A&M Aggies defense look on after forcing a fumble from UTEP Miners wide receiver Jordan Leslie, center, during the second quarter of an NCAA college football game at Kyle Field Saturday, Nov. ... more

Photo: Cody Duty / Houston Chronicle

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Texas A&M Aggies defensive back Noel Ellis, center, celebrates after he recovered a fumble from UTEP Miners wide receiver Jordan Leslie during the second quarter of an NCAA college football game at Kyle Field Saturday, Nov. 2, 2013, in College St